Forum

Just a snippet of my thoughts rather than any questions.

I wonder how contractors carve their places in the communities they live in and how smooth the transition from working hard to get every bit of work from people who don't know you through to seamless integration and becoming known as a familiar face and name.

I expect it can take a while and varies a lot depending on where you live. From our perspective, making sure your vehicles are nicely marked must help. If you drive along the street to and from home 4 times a day everyone is bound to know who you are eventually. Today, for example, I had a builder I know stop on the way past my house with a potential job for me, plus a bit of fishing chat! I have never gave him my address but he has seen the van and is aware of the work Dan Frazer Gardening does. I met him working for the same client one day and he was impressed with the lawn cut!

So do you feel you 'belong' where you live? Is it possible for one company to mop up the majority of local work? I suspect so. Should you expand and hire to keep up with all the demands for work? If you do so it will consolidate your brand as you become known as a local employer in addition to a decent local gardener.

From this there are many other steps you can take such as sponsorship of sports teams, charity work at elderly neighbours homes or other centres, presence al local shows and more.

I guess this is the first time in a long time I have felt this way having been based in a city for so long before 2 years ago and it's something a lot probably take for granted, but if you can remember that far back just think how you got there, what steps you took and how you overcame any problems along the way!